Fic: The Trial (Eomer/Theodred) PG-13 for Uisgich. Season's Greetings!

[alex_quine]

Title: The Trial
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Eomer/Theodred
Summary: Eomer faces an unexpected trial and Theodred has a choice to make.
Warnings: Canon age ranges
Disclaimer:  The originals of these characters belong to their copyright holders.  I borrow them for fun.
Prompt: This is written for uisgich, who asked for something Rohirric, set during the Mid-

Comments

[uisgich]

Thank you so much for such a wonderful gift!

There was a real sense of a rich history behind the task the boys had to perform, and I was anticipating reading about Eomer's trial, but there was more to come in the unexpected encounter with the orcs. The detail was amazing, and I was drawn right into the story.

There were so many things I loved about it. The scene at the beginning with Eomund first telling Eomer about the trials and how Eomer missed his father when his own trial came around. That Eowyn knows her brother well enough to make sure he had his comfortable boots before he set off. Theodred telling Eomer that he sees how skilled he is with the horses, and doesn't miss how he avoids his other tutors. The attraction between them, and that Theodred is the cautious one, being given hope that he might be able to trust Eomer with his heart.

And it ended with such a hopeful line:

And Theodred found himself gazing at those strong hands, playing with the rope end and wondering what it might be like, for once, to trust to another’s heart.

Thank you again for weaving such a beautiful tale :)

[alex_quine]

It's a great pleasure and I'm so glad you enjoyed it! And thankyou for the intriguing prompt. I'd not thought
about these characters as a pairing before, but once I did somehow it became interesting to work from the
canon ages, if only because it allowed me to explore Eomer as a more solitary figure. I was interested in
the idea that in this society Eomer and Eowyn had to earn the valued places that we see them in throughout
the later books, that at this point in their lives they still depend largely on one another but they are at the point of
emerging from their childhood status. Anyway, thankyou again for your kind comments and a Happy New Year
to you and yours!